Al Davis Dead: 5 People Who Could Be New Leader of Raider Nation

Today is a day of mourning for Raider Nation and the rest of the NFL.

Al Davis passed away at the age of 82 this morning, leaving the world in shock. Davis was a pioneer, a legend, and one of the most incredible men to step foot inside of the NFL.

He transformed the role of the owner, as guys like Jerry Jones and Daniel Snyder have both attempted to mimic what he Davis did during his career.

He won three Super Bowls during his tenure, and created the well known slogan "just win, baby."

With Davis' passing, one of the biggest questions surrounding the team centers on who will become the new leader of Raider Nation. Let's take a look at five top possibilities. 

Jon Gruden

Raider Nation has been pleading for the glory days under Jon Gruden over the past few years, and would likely do anything to have Gruden back with the team.

Obviously they are happy with Hue Jackson as the head coach right now, as he looks promising to this point, but what about adding Gruden in the front office?

This is more of a hope and dream for Raider Nation, as there is nothing indicating that Gruden is going to return.

However, is there anyone out there who doesn't want to see Gruden come back to lead Raider Nation to the promised land?

John Madden

Is there a better fit to become the new leader of Raider Nation than John Madden?

There is nothing indicating that Madden would even be interested in rejoining the Raiders, but he was the face of the franchise for quite some time.

Madden led the Raiders to the Super Bowl in 1976, and is the most glorified coach in Raiders' history.

Unfortunately, this reunion seems unlikely, and we will have to look to another candidate to lead Raider Nation.

John Herrera

Noticing a trend? There are a lot of John's in contention to lead Raider Nation back to the glory days.

John Herrera has been around this team for a very long time. He was a ballboy as a child, and re-joined the team in 1978 as Director of Public Relations.

He left the Raiders in 1982, but returned just three years later as a senior executive.

He has remained in that role for the past 26 years, and was very close to Al Davis and his family. He might not be the most popular choice among Raider Nation, but he is certainly someone that was within the Raiders inner circle.

Mark Davis

The most logical successor to become the next leader of Raider Nation is Mark Davis. However, it has been thought for quite sometime that he has no desire to follow in his father's footsteps.

Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News has reported that Mark Davis will inherit full control of the team, but it remains to be seen if he is going to be a behind-the-scenes owner or if he plans to sell the team.

In all likelihood, Davis won't want to be the face of the franchise like his father was, so someone else will have to lead Raider Nation to the promise land.

Of course, there is a possibility that Davis' share of the team could be sold, which means the new leader of Raider Nation might come from outside the franchise.

Amy Trask

Amy Trask has been the CEO of the Oakland Raiders for the past 14 years. Before becoming the CEO, she interned with the team while she was in college, and is one of the most recognizable members of the organization.

She is currently the only female CEO in the NFL, and she represents the team at league meetings. She is the most trusted member of Davis' inner circle, and should be considered the favorite to become the new leader of Raider Nation.

There has always been a feeling that Marc Davis never wanted to be a part of the organization, which means Trask will likely become the new face of the franchise.

If Davis doesn't sell the team, Trask is the most likely of the candidates to lead Raider Nation back to the promised land.